Shipping-case and holder.



No. 668.376. Patented Feb. l9, l90l. E. M. KNIGHT.

SHIPPING CASE AND HOLDER.

(Application filed. Juga 6, 1900.)

(No Model.)

1 2 fimmf my Q W M021 0% 4 EDWARD M. KNIGHT,

trie

OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

SHIPPING-"CASE AND HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 668,376, dated February19, 1901.

Application filed June 6 1900.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWARD M. KNIGHT, a citizen of the United States,residing at New York, in the borough of Manhattan and State of New York,have invented new and useful Improvements in Shipping-Cases and Holders,of which the following is a specification.

Figure l is a perspective view of a holder and containing-case embodyingmy invention. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the holder reversed. Fig.3 is a modification to be hereinafter referred to. Fig. 4: is a verticalsectional view on the line a: a; of Fig. 1.

This invention relates to a device adapted primarily to provide asimple, convenient, and effective method for the transportation ofliquids contained in vessels, either of a fragile nature or otherwise,and, further, to provide means for the easy withdrawal of the liquidcontents of said vessels.

The invention consists, essentially, of a holder for thecontaining-case, which holder when the vessel is not in use or when thedevice is in transportation forms a protecting guard for the vessel,said holder being so constructed that when it is wished to withdraw thecontents of the case it (the holder) forms an axis about which thecontaining-case swings to enable the contents to be withdrawn with greatfacility.

The invention also consists of the combination of a containing-case anda holderin which it is pivotally mounted, said holder being adapted toswing. in an arc of about one hundred and eighty degrees, so that in itsnormal closed condition it incloses and guards the sides and top of thecontaining-case and forms a stable support for said case, and wheninverted or turned from its closed position toa position substantiallythe reverse thereof the top of the holder becomes a broad and securesupportingbase for the entire structure.

The invention also consists of the parts and the constructions,arrangements, and combinations of parts which I shall hereinafter fullydescribe and claim.

In the drawings I have shown two forms of devices, one of which is aslight modification of the other; but bothinclude the same relativearrangements and combinations, and therefore to all practical intentsand purposes Serial No. 1 9,305. (No model.)

the two devices are alike and perform like re sults.

In Fig. 2 the containing-case A is shown in the form of a closedvessel-say an oil-canhaving an inlet a, pouring spout or nozzle 1), anda handle c,whi1e in Fig. 3 the corresponding containing-case A is in theform of open lattice-work or slatted structure and is adapted to receivea demijohn or like vessel, and in both instances the rear of the case isextended vertically at the rear side, as shown at B, and provided withan opening B, leading to a member 13 of a locking device of someappropriate character and which is herein shown as consisting of a pieceof wire located within a keeper 0 on the back extension B, said wirebeing bent at substantially its middle portion, and having the membersarranged substantially parallel with each other,with one member fixed inposition and the other or free member lying in the plane of the openingI), so as to be automatically engaged bya companion member of thelocking devices, as I will presently indicate.

Secured to or formed with the sides of the case and substantially in theplane of the vertical center thereof are trunnions O, which form theaxis about which the case swings in discharging the contents thereof andabout which the exterior holder swings from its closed to its openposition, and vice versa. This holder is herein shown as consisting oftwo parallel sides D and a transverse end E, which forms the upper endor top of the holder when the parts are in the position shown in Figs. 1and 4 and also forms the lower end or broad supporting-base when theholder is turned from the position shown in Fig. l to the reverseposition shown in Fig. 2.

The holder is mounted and swings about the aforesaid trunnions orpivotal connection, and preferably the side members of the holder aretapered downwardly, so that in the closing movement of the holder fromthe open position in Fig. 2 to the closed position in Fig. 1 the frontlower angles (1 of the sides engage the ground, floor, or other surfaceand act as fulcrums for elevating the interior case, so that its bottomis normally held out of contact with said surface, the weight of thestructure being supported upon said sides, which sides practicallybecome the legs of the supporting structure.

The holder may have appropriate handles or grips e, by which it can beconveniently operated, and on the inner side of the top is secured a lugf or other'well-known feature, forming the remaining member of thefastening device and which is adapted to pass through the opening B, soas to be engaged by the other member of the fastening.

In the device shown in Fig. 3, which is designed to hold a demijohn or aglass jar, the crate may freely rock. When the demijohn is full, thebottle and crate hang plumb; but as the contents of the demijohn arewithdrawn the center of gravity is lowered and the crate may hangsomewhat out of plumb. This does not matter in the case of the demijohn,because the exit for the liquid is at the top of the bottle and thecontents will not spill even if the crate did not hang perfectly plumb.Now in contradistinction to this take the case of the oil-can shown inFigs. 1 and 2, where the nozzle is to one side of the can. If the canwere allowed to rock freely, it will at once be apparent that it mighthave a tendency to spill the contents. Therefore to provide against thisobjection in the case of the can I have provided a stop H, secured onthe innor walls of one of the sides of the holder, so that when the canis rocked forward to withdraw the contents and pushed back to check theflow the stop acts to hold the can up into a perpendicular position,bringing the contents of it into such position that the center ofgravity is perpendicular to the sides of the holder, and thus the canremains perpendicular.

I will now point out some of the advantages of my invention. Up to thepresent time it has been customary to simply crate glass vesselscontaining liquids, leaving the glass exposed in places, so as to insuretheir being handled with care. They'could not be packed one ontop of theother without risk of breaking while in transportation and, moreover, itwas a difficult matter to withdraw the contents without having recourseto special mechanical appliances. My invention overcomes these evils byproviding simultaneously a rocking frame and also a protecting-guardwhen in transit. Again, it is customary to ship oil in metal cans, andthe same difficulties will occur here as I before mentioned. Thedifficulty is in packing the cans one on top of the other Without damageto them and also the difficulty of withdrawing the contents. Take, forinstance, a fivegallon vessel of paraffin oil, as used in a household.To enable the housewife to fill the ordinary lamp or reservoir it isnecessary to lift the five-gallon can onto a table and to withdraw fromit into a smaller vessel or oilcan a portion of the oil to enable her tofill the lamp or reservoir, it not being possible to fill the lamp fromthe five-gallon can without risk of spilling the oil, thereby incurringwaste and risk of fire. This is more particularly the case in explosiveoils, such as gasolene-oih By means of my invention this trouble oftransferring the contents from the larger can to a smaller vessel toenable the lamp to be filled is obviated, as one drop can be withdrawnfrom the larger can direct as easily as the entire contents. Thehousewife has nothing to do but to take the lamp direct to the can andWith the greatest facility refillthe lamp.

In transit the can is thoroughly protected, all risks of damage to it orits contents being guarded against. It is also apparent that thecontents of the vessel can be locked up so that they cannot be tamperedwith during transit. Moreover, the lockingdevice can be so constructedthat when it is in use in a household a padlock can be inserted and thehousewife can lock up the contents. When this apparatus is used forliquors, wines, &c., it will at once be seen that this locking of thedevice is an important matter.

The operation of my invention is substantially as follows: The devicebeing in the open position shown in Fig. 2, the can is lifted by thehandle until the device clears the floor sufficiently to enable'theholder to be drawn forward, swinging about its pivotal center, when thecan may be lowered again to the fioor, as the holder may now be broughtover the top of the can and the fastening devices made-to engage. Inthis closing action the front lower angles of the side fulcrum on theground or floor, and this elevates the bottom of the can out of contactwith the floor, as before described, thereby protecting thecontaining-case from injury in transit, while the top of the holderinclosing the top of the case protects the latter and enables any numberof these devices, or any other articles, to be packed one on top of theother, thereby economizing in the space required for shipment.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. The combination with a shipping-case,of a holder therefor and means pivotally uniting the two, whereby theholder may swing from a full-open to a full-closed position and the casemay swing to discharge its contents Bessie a connecting top piece saidholder pivotally secured to the case at points near the middle of thelength of said sides whereby the holder is capable of reversal to bringthe top thereof under the case to formasupportingbase which is out ofcontact with the can to enable the latter to swing to discharge itscontents.

4:. The combination ofacontainingcase and a holder therefor, meanscentrally pivoting the case to the holder to enable the latter to bemoved from a closed position above the case to an open position belowthe same, said holder having a transverse member serving as a guard forthe'top of the case When the holder is closed, and also serving as asupporting-base when the holder is open, and means carried by the holderand adapted to fulcrum against the floor or ground to elevate thestructure so that the bottom of the case is out of contact with thefloor or ground when the parts are closed.

5. The combination with a case anda holder therefor, one pivotallyunited to the other and the holder capable of swinging from a positionabove the case to a position below the same, said case having its rearside extended above the top, and means for uniting the case to theholder and including coacting fastening members one carried by the reartop extension of the case and the other carried by the holder.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

EDWARD M. KNIGHT.

Witnesses:

CHAPMAN W. FOWLER, T. W. FOWLER.

